Holding Kotone's hand, Rin led the group of children who had been kidnapped by Ryuunosuke toward the main street, a clear objective in mind.
It didn't take long for them to be spotted by police officers patrolling the road.
"Huh? Where's Rin?"
Amid the group, Kotone turned around and realized that Rin had disappeared at some point.
---xXx---
At the entrance to the alley across the street.
As she watched Kotone and the other children get into the police car, Rin's expression immediately relaxed, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face as she saw the vehicle drive away.
Rin pulled a pocket watch from her collar. The magical hands pointed firmly at zero and trembled slightly.
"I did it, Father."
Suddenly, a jolt of electricity ran through her entire body.
"W-What… what just happened?!"
Rin looked anxiously toward the darkness at the end of the alley as the magical hand began spinning violently, completing several rotations in an instant. Its intensity kept increasing until it finally reached its limit and could no longer move.
Rin's pupils dilated in shock, as if she had seen something absurd. Her instincts screamed before her body could even react.
She immediately turned to run.
But before she could take more than three steps, a grotesque mass of dark purple fell from the sky, blocking her escape route.
It was an amalgamation of slimy tentacles, pulsing as if alive, spreading a thick liquid across the ground. A sharp, continuous screech echoed from them, like nails scraping against a chalkboard.
More fell one after another, like a grotesque rain, completely sealing off every exit.
Rin turned back, her body stiff, her face expressionless.
On the other side, the orange-haired young man waved at her "friendly."
To an outsider, it might have looked like an older brother coming to pick her up.
But there was no warmth in that gesture.
"Stay back!!!"
Rin grabbed all the remaining gems in her pocket at once and threw them desperately.
However, multiple tentacles shot out from the walls like starving serpents, intercepting the gems midair. The explosions went off far from their target, dissipating uselessly.
"You're using that trick again? I'm terrified~"
With victory assured, Ryuunosuke laughed casually.
Beside him, a man with bulging eyes slowly emerged from his spiritual form.
Rin's heart immediately sank.
She instinctively understood that this was connected to the Holy Grail War.
"Father… Mother…"
Fear finally consumed her completely. Her legs gave out, and she fell backward, tears streaming uncontrollably from her eyes.
Ryuunosuke approached her step by step, like a predator savoring the moment when its prey was already cornered.
"Why did you stop running, huh?"
He grabbed Rin's hair brutally, pulling her up without the slightest care.
"That hurts!"
Pain exploded across her scalp, but before she could react—
Smack!
The slap echoed sharply through the alley.
"This is truly excellent material—far more valuable than all the previous ones~"
Gilles trembled with excitement, tears streaming down his face as he looked at Rin as if she were a masterpiece.
"Waaah…"
Rin's face burned from the slap, swelling slowly. Her body trembled—not only from pain, but from helplessness.
She didn't regret coming to save her friend.
She regretted not being strong enough.
If only she had more power… she could have ended those two…
But… it was already too late…
Sakura…
The thought of her sister was the last thread holding her consciousness together.
At that moment, a golden light cut across the sky.
'How beautiful…'
Even on the brink of despair, Rin couldn't help it. Her half-closed eyes reflected that brilliance.
And then she saw Ryuunosuke's smile vanish completely.
Huh?
Rin slowly turned her head, struggling against the weight of her body.
Then she saw a blond man land gently on the ground. His presence filled the space overwhelmingly, yet carried a strange calm.
A beautiful white spear rested in his hand.
It was as if he didn't belong to that scene—as if he had stepped straight out of a fairy tale… only to shatter this nightmare.
Like an enhanced version of the prince charming Rin had always dreamed of.
Her heart, crushed by fear, opened for a brief moment, like a flower blooming in full splendor.
[A/N: Shoujo manga filter activated]
His golden hair shimmered softly under the faint moonlight illuminating the alley, every strand perfectly aligned as if hand-drawn. His crimson eyes, deep and tranquil, carried an authority impossible to ignore—yet without arrogance, only absolute confidence.
The outfit he wore made it seem as though that grotesque world was unworthy of even touching his existence.
And yet, his smile was gentle.
Such an absurd contrast to the surrounding horror that, for a moment, Rin forgot to breathe.
"Lancer?! Why the hell are you here?!" Ryuunosuke shouted, his voice cracking as he tightened his grip on Rin's hair.
"That hurts!"
Rin felt the pain tear through her scalp again, but her mind clung to a single thought:
So that guy is a Lancer-class Servant.
"And why should I tell you anything, you filthy mongrel?"
The reply came calm and cold.
Arthur took a step forward and, with a simple motion of his spear, the tentacle blocking the alley was erased by its sacred light as if it had never existed.
Ryuunosuke instinctively stepped back.
"Shit…!"
He made a desperate gesture, and Gilles responded immediately.
Even larger tentacles erupted, distorting the narrow alley, pressing against the walls, crushing the air itself.
Then Ryuunosuke tightened his grip around Rin's neck.
"Don't come any closer! Or I'll strangle this brat!"
"You truly are a pathetic creature, Ryuunosuke Uryuu."
Arthur's voice carried neither anger nor exaggerated disdain.
"What?!" Ryuunosuke exclaimed, confused.
But it was already too late.
The instant Arthur finished speaking, his figure vanished from Ryuunosuke's sight.
Seeing Arthur's sudden advance, the grimoire in Gilles' hand suddenly emitted an intense black-purple glow, pulsing like a living heart as he activated his power.
"Master, allow me to show you what it means to be truly magnificent. Bwahahaha!" Gilles exclaimed, his voice filled with deranged ecstasy.
In the next moment, the space within the alley twisted.
A grotesque sea demon emerged, compressing everything around it with its formless mass. Its mouth opened at a bizarre angle, revealing rows of irregular, slimy teeth as it swallowed Gilles and Ryuunosuke—with Rin trapped between them.
"Sir Lancer!"
In the final moment, before the jaws closed, Rin stretched her hand desperately toward the only sliver of light outside.
Her fingers trembled, but her voice never fully came out before the darkness swallowed her completely.
The inside of the creature was suffocating, damp—as if she had been buried alive in pulsating flesh. The sounds of beating and liquid merged into a nauseating cacophony.
The demon immediately began to rise, preparing to flee.
But in the very next instant—
A golden light tore through the darkness!
Ryuunosuke froze, completely stunned, while Gilles' eyes widened almost comically.
"Lancer, you're insane!!" he shouted, his voice trembling between disbelief and excitement.
"Rejoice, mongrels…" Arthur spoke.
"Radiant Spear of Destiny — LONGINUS!"
An absolute flash swallowed everything, piercing through flesh, magic, and space alike, burning the sea demon away with purifying light.
For Rin, there was no pain—only light filling her vision.
When her consciousness returned, she realized something unexpected.
She was being held in a broad, steady embrace, as if all the chaos had been left behind.
"Are you alright?"
Rin slowly opened her eyes.
And saw—
Short, immaculate golden hair.
Calm crimson eyes.
And a gentle, almost impossible smile in that field of horror.
[A/N: Shoujo manga filter at maximum power]
The world seemed to slow around them.
The night wind brushed through Arthur's golden hair, making it shine like strands of light beneath the sky. His serene crimson eyes reflected only Rin, as if nothing else existed in that moment.
In Rin's vision, it was as if roses were blooming around him.
Even as they fell from dozens of meters in the air, he seemed completely in control.
As though the world itself bent to ensure nothing would go wrong.
At that moment—
She was in Arthur's arms as they fell through the air due to inertia. Below them stretched the city of Fuyuki, a sea of distant lights, while the wind cut across their faces.
"What's your name?" Rin asked, still dazed.
"That would ruin all the charm," Arthur replied casually.
"Cheapskate."
"Why don't you let go of that before calling me a cheapskate?" Arthur countered calmly.
Rin blinked in confusion.
Arthur tilted his head slightly, indicating her arms.
She looked down—and saw she was still holding something.
It was Ryuunosuke's severed arm.
The cut was charred, but blood still dripped slowly from the end.
"Kyaaaa!!!"
Rin's scream tore through the air.
She dropped the arm instantly as if burned, watching it vanish into the darkness below.
A moment later, Arthur landed smoothly on the rooftop of a nearby building, absorbing the impact effortlessly.
He tried to set her down, but Rin grabbed his collar tightly, refusing to let go.
"My legs are numb. You have to take responsibility for me."
"Very well. I'll take responsibility for you until you fully recover your mobility," Arthur replied calmly.
Rin nodded, satisfied, her face slightly flushed as she rested her forehead against his chest.
"Rin. Rin Tohsaka—that's my name."
"Lancer."
"Hmph~ I'll definitely figure out your real name!"
Arthur remained silent for a moment.
'Is there something about me that attracts children?' he wondered, genuinely puzzled.
Rin then looked up again, unease returning.
"Those two perverts… are they dead?"
"Well…"
Before Arthur could answer, his phone rang.
He picked it up.
On the other end, the urgent voices of Artoria and Irisviel came through:
{"Arthur, Caster and his Master jumped into the sea and escaped."} Iri spoke first.
{"Caster's condition wasn't very clear, but his Master seems to be in terrible shape. He probably doesn't have much time left,"} Artoria added.
"I see."
{"They're likely returning to some kind of base. I'll try to track them down immediately."}
Arthur ended the call.
Rin's expression immediately showed clear disappointment.
"So they're still alive…"
"Rin, your father entrusted us with the mission of rescuing you. Now I'll take you back to the Tohsaka family."
"No! I don't want to go back! I want to stay with you!" Rin clung even tighter around Arthur's neck, kicking her legs as she refused to let go.
Arthur raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Are you sure you want to stay by my side?" he asked, looking directly at her. "Aren't you afraid I might use you as a hostage?"
"No… I'm not afraid!" Rin insisted stubbornly.
"You really are a very brave girl. But be careful—not all Servants are as easy to talk to as I am," Arthur warned, gently patting Rin's head.
---
(End of Chapter)
A/N: Unfortunately, I couldn't find any image of Gilgamesh with a shoujo filter—it would've been hilarious.